Waisberg



March 10, 1964 J. WAISBERG SAFETY BOTTLE Filed April 15, 1965 United States Patent 3,124,264 SAFETY BOTTLE Jacob Waisberg, 57 Neptune Drive, Apt. 106, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Filed Apr. 15, 1963, Ser. No. 273,044 3 Claims. (Cl. 215-9) This invention relates to a container. More particularly, this invention relates to a container such as a bottle, for example, which is particularly suited for storing materials of a potentially dangerous nature such as sleeping pills, poisons and acids, for example.

It is a well known fact that every year a great number of children die or are made seriously ill as a result of their consumption of tablets or liquids which are obtained from drug bottles carelessly left where children can reach them. It also is well known that many adults are killed or made seriously ill as a result of their mistaking a potentially harmful drug for the intended drug by simply accidentally choosing the incorrect bottle.

Accordingly, one important object of my invention is to provide a container which is so constructed that it has the outward appearance of a conventional container, but which can only be opened readily by removing the base thereof; which is so constructed that a child cannot open the same by removing the conventional cap or stopper which is employed therewith; which is so constructed that an adult, upon removing the cap or stopper thereof, immediately will be made aware that the container has a potentially dangerous substance therein; and which is peculiarly weighted so as to give an additional warning to a person picking up the container.

An additional object of my invention is to provide a container with a removable base and which is so weighted that the container tips over if the base is not put back on the container before the container is set down.

A bottle which is designed to prevent accidents and which is representative of the prior art is shown in United States Patent No. 1,436,506 dated Nov. 21, 1922 to William F. Laing. It will be seen that the bottle shown in this patent has a stopper in the bottom wall thereof, which stopper must be removed before the contents of the bottle can be obtained. Unfortunately the presence of the stopper is readily apparent, even to a casual observer, thus materially reducing the effectiveness of this bottle.

In brief, a container embodying my invention comprises side walls, a bottom wall, a base and a top end, with a removable means of capping the top end of the container, together with a means of sealing the top end of the container. The bottom wall has a first opening formed therein which communicates with the interior of the container. The base removably seals the first opening with at least the marginal portion of the base being adapted to abut the bottom wall. Means are provided to permanently unbalance the container to one side about the point of intersection of the longitudinal axis of the container with the base of the container.

My invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a sectional view showing some characteristics of a bottle embodying my invention, and

FIGURES 2 and 3 are sections illustrating bottles embodying my invention.

While my invention will be described hereinafter embodied in a bottle, those skilled in the art will appreciate that my invention is applicable to the container field generally, and hence the following description is not intended to be taken as limiting in nature.

Referring to FIGURE 1, I have shown a generally cylindrical bottle 10 having side Walls 11, a bottom Wall 12,

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a top end 13 and a base 14 which has a marginal portion 26 At top end 13 of bottle 10 there is a threaded neck 15. A cap 16 is adapted to threadably engage threaded neck 15 in a conventional manner.

It will be seen that the top end 13 of bottle 10 is closed by a wall 17 formed integral with the bottle.

Bottom wall 12 has a threaded neck 18 extending therefrom. An opening 19 passes through threaded neck 18 and bottom wall 12 to provide access to the interior of bottle 10. Preferably threaded neck 18 has a left-hand thread thereon.

Base 14 has a threaded cavity 20 extending part way therethrough and is adapted to threadably engage threaded neck 18, as best shown in FIGURES l and 2. A gasket 25 of a sealing material suitable for the contents of the bottle is positioned in cavity 20. It will be seen that base 14 closes opening 19 and abuts against bottom wall 12 when in fully closed position. While I have shown the whole of base 14 abutting bottom wall 12, it will be appreciated that to an observer the same visual effect will be created if only marginal portions 26 of base 14 abut bottom wall 12.

The diameter of base 14, measured where base 14 abuts bottom wall 12, is made the same as the diameter of bottle 10 measured at bottom wall 12, so that base 14 registers with side walls 11 at marginal portions 26 of base 14 and base 14 is made from the same material as the remainder of the bottle or, alternatively, is made from any other suitable material which simulates the appearance of the glass or other material from which the bottle is made. Thus, it is extremely difficult to determine from visual observation that base 14 is removable.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in FIGURE 2, neck 15 has a blind opening 21 therein in which is removably located a cork or similar stopper 16.

The bottle 10 of FIGURE 2 is provided with an excess of material 22 at the top end 13 of the bottle and towards one side thereof. This excess material 22 tends to unbalance bottle 10 about the point of intersection of the longitudinal axis of the bottle with base 14 and imparts to the bottle a different feel when the bottle is grasped in the hand of a person below the top end 13 of the bottle, thus giving an additional warning.

The bottle shown in FIGURE 3 has an opening 23 at the top end thereof, the opening communicating with the interior of the bottle. A cork 24 or other stopper is inserted in and seals opening 23 and cannot be removed without considerable difficulty, for the sake of protection. However, the bottle 10 of FIGURE 3 can be converted to a top dispensing type of bottle if desired. The unfilled volume of opening 23 may be used as a means for determining the amount of material remaining in the bottle. For example, opening 23 could accommodate a single dosage of a liquid drug.

The method of using a bottle embodying my invention is obvious from the foregoing description. In order to dispense the contents of the bottle, it is necessary to remove base 14 which, of course, may be removably mounted in a number of ways other than those specifically mentioned herein. Preferably the thread on neck 18 and base 14 is a left hand thread to make the opening of the bottle even more difficult for children and unsuspecting adults.

If desired, a warning label may be placed on wall 17 under cap 16 for further protection.

It will be appreciated that any child who has obtained a bottle embodying my invention will attempt to open it in the conventional manner by unscrewing cap 16 or removing cork 16, and such a child is very unlikely to detect the removability of base 14.

Any adult who opens a bottle embodying my inven- 3 tion in the conventional way by removing cap 16 or cork 16 is immediately warned by the fact that the contents of the bottle cannot be obtained in this manner.

While I have disclosed certain preferred embodiments of my invention, those skilled in the art will appreciate that changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A container having side walls, a bottom wall, a base and a top end, removable means capping said top end of said container, means sealing said top end of said container, said bottom wall having a first opening formed therein and communicating with the interior of said container, said bottom wall having a first threaded neck protruding therefrom, said first opening in said bottom wall extending through said first threaded neck, said base threadably engaging said first threaded neck, whereby said base removably seals said first opening, at least the marginal portions of said base being adapted to abut said bottom wall when said base is in position sealing said first opening, the width of said base where said base abuts said bottom wall being substantially the same as the width of said container at said bottom wall, said base registering with said side walls of said container where said marginal portions of said base abut said bottom wall, and means permanently unbalancing said container towards one side thereof about the point of intersection of the longitudinal axis of said container with said base, said last mentioned means comprising an unbalanced excess of material at said top end towards said one side of said container creating an unbalance moment about said point.

2. A container having side walls, a bottom wall, a base and a top end, removable means capping said top end of said container, means sealing said top end of said container, said bottom wall having a first opening formed therein and communicating with the interior of said container, said bottom wall having a first threaded neck protruding therefrom, said first opening in said bottom wall extending through said first threaded neck, said base threadably engaging said first threaded neck, whereby said base removably seals said first opening, at least the marginal portions of said base being adapted to abut said bottom wall when said base is in position sealing said first opening, the Width of said base where said base abuts said bottom wall being substantially the same as the width of said container at said bottom wall, said base registering with said side walls of said container where said marginal portions of said base abut said bottom wall, said first threaded neck having a left handed thread thereon, and means permanently unbalancing said container towards one side thereof about the point of intersection of the longitudinal axis of said container with said base, said last mentioned means comprising an unbalanced excess of material at said top end towards said one side of said container creating an unbalanced moment about said point.

3. A container having side Walls, a bottom Wall, a base and a top end, removable means capping said top end of said container, means sealing said top end of said container, said bottom wall having a first opening formed therein and communicating With the interior of said container, said bottom wall having a first threaded neck protruding therefrom, said first opening in said bottom wall extending through said first threaded neck, said base threadably engaging said first threaded neck, whereby said base removably seals said first opening, at least the .iarginal portions of said base being adapted to abut said bottom wall when said base is in position sealing said first opening, the width of said base where said base abuts said bottom wall being substantially the same as the width of said container at said bottom wall, said base registering with said side walls of said container where said marginal portions of said base abut said bottom wall, said top end having a second threaded neck, said removable means comprising a cap threadably engaging said second threaded neck, and means permanently unbalancing said container towards one side thereof about the point of intersection of the longitudinal axis of said container with said base, said last mentioned means comprising an unbalanced excess of material at said top end towards said one side of said container creating an unbalanced moment about said point.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 639,861 Paterson Dec. 26, 1899 1,355,161 Mohme Oct. 12, 1920 1,436,506 Laing Nov. 21, 1922 2,239,092 Gamrnill Apr. 22, 1941 3,027,034 Christian Mar. 27, 1962 

1. A CONTAINER HAVING SIDE WALLS, A BOTTOM WALL, A BASE AND A TOP END, REMOVABLE MEANS CAPPING SAID TOP END OF SAID CONTAINER, MEANS SEALING SAID TOP END OF SAID CONTAINER, SAID BOTTOM WALL HAVING A FIRST OPENING FORMED THEREIN AND COMMUNICATING WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID CONTAINER, SAID BOTTOM WALL HAVING A FIRST THREADED NECK PROTRUDING THEREFROM, SAID FIRST OPENING IN SAID BOTTOM WALL EXTENDING THROUGH SAID FIRST THREADED NECK, SAID BASE THREADABLY ENGAGING SAID FIRST THREADED NECK, WHEREBY SAID BASE REMOVABLY SEALS SAID FIRST OPENING, AT LEAST THE MARGINAL PORTIONS OF SAID BASE BEING ADAPTED TO ABUT SAID BOTTOM WALL WHEN SAID BASE IS IN POSITION SEALING SAID FIRST 